Spoiler Sport: Doc Ock's SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #8 Discovery

In an interview late last month, Superior Spider-Man writer Dan Slott teased to us that the "biggest event to happen" in that series would take place in May's issue #9.

Superior Spider-Man #8 came out this week, and it offers at least a hint as to what that might involve. By the end of the issue, OckSpidey discovers the shred of Peter Parker that's been hanging around since Doctor Octopus took over Peter's body in Amazing Spider-Man #700 — described by Ock "all of Peter's memories I kept in this head, taking on a life of their own" — and plans to expunge it permanetly, thanks to what he calls a "Parker-ectomy."

Sounds like the ol' Parker luck might extend to even the afterlife, but that's not the only big development in the issue, written by Slott and illustrated by Humberto Ramos. #8 also showed the softest side of the new Spidey that readers have seen yet, helping to cure a young girl that he damaged as a result of his "Ends of the Earth" plot despite being placed on probation by the Avengers. Plus, seeds were sown for a new mystery involving Carlie Cooper. We discussed the issue in greater detail with Superior Spider-Man assistant editor Ellie Pyle.

Newsarama: Ellie, obviously the big reveal at the end of Superior Spider-Man #8 is that Doc Ock is now aware of Ghost Peter Parker still kicking around their shared body (what a sentence!). It's already been said that the next issue contains a major development for the series, and a "Parker-ectomy" is teased — it's likely not that simple, but given that we know Superior Spider-Man is continuing well into the near future, should Peter Parker fans perhaps be preparing for more bad news?

Ellie Pyle: What they should be prepared for is some pretty epic psychological warfare between Peter Parker and Otto Octavius. We saw Otto facing some of his own inner demons in Avenging Spider-Man #19 but for this showdown in the mindscape, every experience Pete has ever had can be used as a weapon by or against him. And there is no better person to be in charge of that arsenal than Dan Slott. He loves both of these characters enough to know which weapons will hurt most.

Nrama: The emotional highlight of issue #8 is OckSpidey helping the young girl and effectively righting his "Ends of the Earth" wrong. From your perspective as an editor, should readers be taking this at face value that he truly is beginning to evolve into someone that they should be cheering for? (Other than that last page, presumably.)

Pyle: Ock still has a lot to learn about being a hero, but I think he is learning. He may not always go about things in the right way, but he really does mean well and seems to be learning from his past mistakes as both Doctor Octopus and thus far as the Superior Spider-Man.

In helping that little girl he was absolutely doing the right thing for purely remorseful reasons. So yes, I hope that the readers are beginning to appreciate his evolution and that they have started rooting for him, because as you said above, this journey is far from over.

Nrama: Wanted to ask about the Carlie on the phone scene — the shadowed person on the other end, at first it seemed to me personally to likely be Vin Gonzales, but I've seen speculation out there that it might be Yuri Watanabe, the most recent Wraith. Are these guesses on the right track?

Pyle: I will tell you that people seem to have latched onto the right clue: that it’s a former police officer who may not always have been within the letter of the law. But the real question is: who didn’t she turn in?

Nrama: To wrap up — with issue #9 hyped as containing the "biggest event to happen" yet in Superior Spider-Man, any final teases you want to share for the issue, no matter how obscure/oblique/vague/indirect/etc. they might be?